Container for refrigerant



July 25, 1933- w. s. JosEPHsoN CONTAINER FOR REFRIGERANT Filed Deo. 3l,1929 R O T N E V m Patented July 225,` 19,33

I .UNITED STATES PATENT or-rlcl-z`l WALTER S. JOSEPHSON, OF BROOKLYN,NEW YORK, ASS-IGNOB T DRYICE CORPORA- TION 0F AMERICA., OF NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CONTAINER FOR REFRIGERANT ApplicationflledDeeember 31, 1929. Serial No. 417,637.

This invention relates to refrigerating packages or containers, and isespecially adapted for use with a refrigerant suchA as hydrated solidcarbon dioxide as described and claimed in my copending applicationSerial No. 399,911.

The invention also relates to a method of refrigerating which, whileadaptable to any kind of refrigerant, is most advantageously remployedwith the hydrated solid carbon 2@ preferably made of a good heatconducting material although the housing or shell may be, and for bestresults should beof poor heat conducting material. The reentrant elementis adapted, both as to material of which it is composed and as to theform in which it is constructed to receive a 'solid refrigerant. I havealready pointed out in my said copending application for patent uponhydrated solid carbon dioxide and 2 upon various devices for employingthis refrigerant, that a large portion of the moisture content of therefrigerant will, on melting of the refrigerant block, build up on thesurface of the .block as a blanket of water snow of a thicknessdependent upon the volume of the block and upon its moisture content.The blanket,- so deposited, is of a temperature of ordinary water snowor ice m on its outer limit, namely, 32 F.

It acts, however, as a thermostatic control preventing the rapid meltingofV the block or stick, for although ithas a temperature of 32 F. on itsouter limit, the blanket temperature rapidly descends upon its inner l5margin where is contacts with the block,

to approximately the temperature of the block, or about 109 F.

The present invention contemplates a shell preferably of cardboard orother material of D poor heat conducting properties and which may be ofcylindrical conformation and a reentrant element of preferably tubularform closed o from the interior space of the shell. The side of theshell with which the reentrant element connects may be either of thesame material as the shell or of another material having better heatconducting properties. It may be of the same material as the reentrantelement which should have good heat conducting properties and for this,commercial sheet tin is satisfactory.

The invention will be clearly understood from the drawing in which Fig.I shows, in sectional elevation, a container of the present inventionadapted to ice cream and F ig. II shows a plan view thereof.

Referring to Fig. I, 1 represents a shell preferably of cardboard havingan interior space, 2, which is the space to be refrigerated, surroundingthe reentrant element or refrigerant receptacle, 3, the said reentrantelement, being composed preferably of tin sheet and integral with thebottom of said shell with which it unites at 4. The reentrant elementprotrudes up through the center of the container and is shown concentrictherewith. A stopper, 5, of cork or `other material having perforations,6, closes the refrigerant receptacle, but allows the escape of gas fromthe melting block through the perforations.

When the material to be refrigerated, I

such as ice cream is closely packed into the space, 2, surrounding andin contact with the reentrant element or refrigerant receptacle, 3,which is out of communication with space, 2, a stick or block ofrefrigerant such as hydrated solid carbon dioxide is inserted into thereceptacle, 3, and closed by means of the cork or stopper, 5. Acovering, 7, is then placed over the top of the container and anothercover, 8, having an opening or openings, the openings thereincorresponding to the openlngs, 6, through the cork, 5, but notnecessarily registering therewith is placed in position over the bottomof the container.

Fig. II showing the bottom of the container proper illustrates thepreferred cyhndrical -form of the package. The bottom of vso the shell,or container, 1, has a central opening through which the reentrantelement or refrigerant receptacle, 3, penetrates. This receptacle whichis made of tin or other similar heat conducting material joins with thebottom at, 4. l.

The function of the device is obvious from the dravving and thedescription above given in connection therewith.

vThe refrigerant, hydrated solid carbon dioxide, may be made at someplace other than the place Where the container is to be packed, and iscompressed in a hard -solid stick or block and in that form insertedinto `the reentrant element or refrigerant receptacle, 3. As therefrigerant melts and gives oli" hydrated carbon dioxide in gaseous forma very considerable pressure would take place within the reentrantelement or refrigerant receptacle due to the enormous expansion of thehydrated gas coming off from the block, were it not for the fact thatthe openings, 6, through the stopper, 5, and through' the bottom cover,8, permit the gas expanding from the melting solid to escape. f

The invention comprises a method as well as the specific devicehereinabove disclosed. In my saidl copending application Serial No.399,911, I have described and claimed a refrigerating material, hydratedsolid c arbon dioxide. This material consists of carbon dioxide andmoisture. which have been solidly compacted and in which the moisturecontent has been predetermined. As the solid melts the moisture contentis given off in gaseous form with gaseous carbon dioxide but aconsiderable portion thereof immediately condenses upon the surface ofthe solid in a water snow blanket the thickness of which depends uponthe volume of the solid and the 'percentage of moisture` therein.

The thickness of the Water snow blanket, therefore, can be predeterminedby predetermining the factors on which it depends. I have found thatwhen this blanket is from one half inch to one and a half inch thick, ithas a temperature on the outside of 32 F. and that its temperaturedescends sharply toward the block until it is approximately 109 F. whereit contacts with block. The temperature of the outside may be increasedor diminished in accordance with the greater or less thickness of'thewater snow blanket. Moreover, the pores of the Water snow are filledwith carbon dioxide gas given off from the block. The effect of thewater snow blanket thus permeated with the carbon dioxide gas, which isa very poor heat conductor, is that of a natural thermostatic control.

my hydrated solid carbon dioxide With ol'- it co'uld be cut only by themost forceful methods.

On the other hand, if instead of dry solid carbon dioxide, the hydratedsolid carbon d1- oxide of my said copending application Were placed inthe reentrant receptacle, thethickness of the water snow blanket can bepredetermined by predetermining the percentage of moisture in the blockor stick. It is thus possible to obtain any desired predeterminedtemperature to keep the materials to be refrigerated in the mostdesirable condition for use. y

In the reentrant receptacle of the container, a refrigerant may beplaced as desired Which contains either a preponderance of carbondioxide or a preponderance of moisture. Indeed, pure dry carbon dioxidesolid may be employed and so may ordinary water ice, if the conditionsof time of refrigeration and degree of temperature during that timerequire one or the other. It is assumed, however, that the containerwill be particularly serviceable and find its most valuable uses withthe hydrated solid carbon dioxide of my said copending application.

The container of the present invention may obviously be made in any sizeor shape to contain any materials it is desired to transport either byhand or otherwise and which must be refrigerated during transport. It isalso obvious that the reentrant receptacle may be of any shape orrelative size relative to the shape or size of the shell ofthecontainer. Many other modifications of the device may also be madewithout de arting from the scope of the invention allo which I desire toclaim.

What I claim is 1. A method of refrigerating at moderate relativelyhigh, relatively constant temperatures, which method includes absorbingheat through the walls of a container and applyr ing it to effect phasechanging action of low melting point solid carbon dioxide-intimatelyassociated with rela-tively high temperature phase changing moisture,thereby depositing an insulating, moderate-temperature blanket of frozenmoisture on the solid as it passes from its interior, variably heatingthe exterior surface of said container by en-l closing a product to berefrigerated in contact with said surface, thereby removing iso moisturefrom the surface of said blanket at ture blanket of frozen moisture onthe solid as it passes from its interior, variably heating the exteriorsurface of said container by enclosing a product to be refrigerated incontact with said surface, thereby. removing moisture from the surfaceof said blanket at rates varying automatically with variations in heatapplied by the product; and draining all excess gas or moisture downwardand discharging it into the exterior atmosphere.

WALTER S. JOSEPHSON.

